The Social Network at it's best.............

I have mixed feelings about the social network. 

On the one hand, you hear wonderful stories about its potential to empower people who may not have a voice under different circumstances.  Take for example the recent situation with Delta airlines and returning military soldiers (who were charged a ridiculous amount of money for bringing four bags home from their deployment instead of three), or the stories that come out of repressed regimes where ordinary citizens have been given the opportunity to unite against an unfair system of government. Closer to home, there are everyday stories of friends and relatives who have been reconnected after years of separation through the magic of YouTube and Facebook.  

 

On the other hand, we know of several government officials who most likely regret exposing their private lives to a world wide network standing in the wings ready to exploit any sign of weakness or fragility. (What were they thinking?)  

Does the social network merely add to the continuing erosion of our privacy and civil liberties?  Or is it a useful tool designed to connect an ever shrinking society?  I suspect, that like many things that at first seem too good to be true, it's a little bit of both. 

I know I certainly continue to use it to promote this blog, Artful Musings and my business, Legacy Mixed Media.  The above piece pays homage to a simpler time when social networking actually referred to people speaking with one another...face to face............

Inspire Me Thursday - Sweet Agony

This piece came together very quickly and was so much fun. I always wanted to do something with the pear shape. I also love this rubber stamp by The Uptown Design Company @ http://www.uptowndesign.com/. It is called "Contemplation-Time to Fly" I've always thought of it as a fairy in agony. Not sure why? The sweet, of course, refers to the pear. I just looked at the whole thing and that title came to mind. Maybe I was thinking about the fact that I have to go back to work soon, and yet I am grateful for having a job - thus, sweet agony!

By the way, I used the advice sent to me about using a scanner to capture the glitter on this piece. I do think it shows more but my husband is also going to implement the advice for taking a photo of it angled in the window. We've just had rain for days here, and I didn't want to wait to post :)

Muse on Vacation?

Okay, I guess there is no guarantee that my Muse's vacation will not conflict with MY vacation! I'm having trouble settling in with a project now that I have the time to do so. I've begun by cropping some of my past collages to expose smaller vignettes within the original images My husband recently installed Adobe Elements on my laptop.

We have the full blown version on our desk top, but that necessitates my waiting around for him to vacate the desk when I want to work. In addition, I have tried in vain to master Photo Shop over the past two years. My brain refuses to think in "layers". It's an interesting problem since my collages are all about layering. I think the difference is that the layers of my collages just kind of happen as they will. I don't tend to plan them out ahead of time. With Photo Shop, I feel as though I'm supposed to keep track of what each layer has on it. Elements seems to be a little easier so far. I'm hoping to be more successful with this version.

At the very least, Elements provides me with a resource for cropping and enhancing images of my work. I like to zoom in on smaller areas of my collages thus creating a whole new piece. It's as though there are mini stories taking place within the larger statement. It also gives me something creative to do while waiting for my muse to return from her unscheduled vacation!

Beauty Denied Strikes a Chord!

Well Glory Be! My little project titled "Beauty Denied" won Honorable Mention in the industrial category at the Orion Center Art Show. If you haven't been to the Orion Center (http://www.orionartcenter.org/), it's well worth the trip to Lake Orion. The people there are wonderful, warm, and talented. They make you feel immediately at home. I enjoyed being a part of their show.

The show runs from now until June. There were many mixed media pieces there including metal welding, collage, assemblages, and sculpture. The theme of the show is recycling trash to treasures. My "Beauty Denied" gals were assembled with flea market "Barbie" dolls, rags, cheesecloth, used corks, and milking machine parts. I picked up some wonderful cone shaped disks last summer at a flea market. I didn't know what they were but I knew I would use them one day. It turned out that they are part of a vintage milking machine. Considering the appearance of the cones, I hesitate to think about how they were actually used on the poor cows! They do, however, make perfect stands for my gals.

I picked up a bag full of used "Barbie" dolls last fall for a dollar a piece. I have had lots of ideas as to what I want to do with them. Finding the time to execute those ideas has been problematic. I'm glad I was able to create the two that evolved into "Beauty Denied". Little did I know at the time (I created them in January) that they would lead me to Lake Orion. Time to push through on my other ideas..........

Time Not Well Spent

Have you ever had a day when God has granted you the time to create, your coffers are full of wonderful materials, the sun is shining, and the day holds the promise of endless artistic possibilities? And then, the worst happens, total creative disaster.

I had a day like that today. Everything I touched turned into a mess. I spilled gel medium on the floor, I had papers sticking to every surface possible, I knocked the paint jar off the table, and air bubbles attacked the paper I was trying to collage. After three hours of failed attempts, I gave up. I'm tempted to throw everything I did today into the fireplace.

Luckily, I'm too depressed to go in search of matches. So my mess will remain on the kitchen table until tomorrow. Maybe things will look better in the morning!

The piece pictured here was NOT a result of today's efforts :) This sunny collage consists of photos from my garden, cage fencing, tissue paper, stamping, wire, pastel chalk, and acrylic paint on a Masonite substrate.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday. I'm constantly surprised to have reached such a ripe old age so quickly! It really is true that time moves more quickly as we get older. I can hardly believe that my children are in their twenties and that most of the older generation of my family have passed away. It doesn't seem possible that I am rapidly becoming the older generation!

I feel great, and it's true that I don't quite feel like a grown-up inside yet. Oh, I have the aches and pains of someone my age, but I still seem to be waiting for that moment of clarity when I can say, "hey, I'm an adult now!" I came close when I watched my mother die. That sort of thing feels pretty grown-up.

But, I still wear jeans, I still love ice-cream, I still love to get out paints and glue and make a total mess with my collage materials, I cry at chick flicks, swear more than I should, let my feelings get hurt far too easily, get excited about Star Trek, refuse to wear high heels, and sneak chocolate at every opportunity. None of those things seem very grown-up.

I collect antique photos for my collage work. The folks in those photos always look so serious and stern. Their expressions scream, "I'm an adult and the world sucks!" Maybe what's happened is that our generation has changed the face of maturity. Smiling for a photo is standard and wearing jeans is something we intend to do till the day we die. Free and easy, or a refusal to grow up? Either way, I think I plan to fight old age all the way. After all, it's my birthday and I'll be delusional if I want to!